PORTLAND, Oregon. (AP) – A driver drove repeatedly against people along streets and sidewalks in Portland, Oregon, on Monday, killing an elderly woman who was dragged under the wheels. The man then tried to escape on foot, but neighbors surrounded him until the police arrived and put him in custody.
Five other people were injured and taken to hospitals. Authorities said they believed more people were injured and did not need transport by ambulance.
Police received a call shortly after 1 pm that a driver hit a pedestrian, according to Portland Police spokesman Derek Carmon.
Additional calls came from people saying that a person driving the same suspicious vehicle, a Honda Element, was hitting other people and vehicles, he said.
Larry Wolfe told The Oregonian / OregonLive that he had an appointment to meet the person who was killed, a woman in her 70s. He said he saw her run over by the car and scream, and was walking towards her when the car came back, hit her again, turned around and dragged her along the sidewalk.
The driver ended up colliding with the Honda for the last time, fled on foot and with community help was arrested by the police, said Carmon. A group of people saw him flee the place and cornered him until the police could arrest him.
The police did not immediately disclose the identities of the driver or his victims. The crime scene spans at least 15 city blocks.